


Cold, Comfort

by heyjupiter



Series: Citizens For a A Thanos-Free Universe [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Poly, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Nightmares, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 04:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19369459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjupiter/pseuds/heyjupiter
Summary: When Peter returns to the Avengers Compound over fall break, he brings the common cold with him. Tony knows what to do for a cold: just keep working through the misery. But Bruce and Pepper have weird other ideas, like "sleeping" and "eating homemade soup."





	Cold, Comfort

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xxx_cat_xxx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxx_cat_xxx/gifts).



> Happy birthday, xxx_cat_xxx!! 
> 
> Thanks for your speedy & helpful beta reading, Sally0! 
> 
> This is also for the "Aww" square on my [Science Bros Bingo card](https://twentyghosts.tumblr.com/sciencebrosbingo).
> 
> I listed this as part of my Thanos-Free Universe series but you don't need to read all of those in order to understand this story; it just establishes a canon-divergent AU in which Thanos never makes it to Earth after the events of Thor: Ragnarok. (And this story would be a few years after that.)

"Hey Brucie, on a scale of 1-10 how much would you mind compromising your vegetarian ethics to make some chicken noodle soup?" Tony asked.

Bruce looked up from his tablet with surprise. "Aw, I didn't realize you were sick. Of course, love. I'll have FRIDAY order some groceries right away."

"What? No, I'm fine, it's for Peter. He's got an awful cold, and he's supposed to be on fall break," Tony said indignantly. He wasn't sick. And anyway, he wouldn't have asked on his _own_ behalf. He sneezed into his elbow. "I just thought, you know, he's home from college, it'd be nice for him to have something homemade, not that dining hall junk."

Bruce's concerned expression morphed into one of amusement. It was an expression Tony knew and loved. It reminded him of something but he couldn't think what. His brain was feeling uncharacteristically sluggish; he probably needed more coffee.

Bruce stood up from the couch and gently rubbed Tony's shoulders. "Okay, hon, I'll make some soup for Peter. And maybe some extra for you in case you get hungry. Why don't you just lie down for a minute?"

"What? It's like 3 o'clock. Peter's staying until dinner, I'm gonna go try to help him finish his project. I just wanted to ask about the soup. For dinner. For Peter."

Bruce gave Tony a soft smile and a kiss on the cheek, right at the corner of his mouth. "Okay, Tony, have fun in the workshop. I'll go start some soup. For Peter."

"You're the best, Brucie," Tony said. As he dragged his aching bones back up to the workshop, he abruptly placed the amused look on Bruce's face. It was the one that Bruce would slyly direct at Tony whenever someone was being dumb in their presence but Bruce didn't think it was worth his time to speak up. " _Hey_ ," he mumbled to himself.

"Yes, boss?" FRIDAY asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, nothing," Tony said. He paused outside the workshop to catch his breath before he entered--ugh, he should probably up his cardio routine--and then he waved open the door and called out, "Okay, kid, how's it…" He trailed off when he noticed that Peter wasn't at his workstation, where Tony had left him. Instead, he was curled up into a ball on the worn-out couch in the corner of the workshop, snoring a sickly little open-mouthed snore. 

Tony sighed. He pulled a fleece blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over Peter's sleeping form. The blanket had been a gift from Peter; it had a big cartoon Iron Man on it. Tony reached out and brushed Peter's hair away from his hot forehead. Peter shifted but stayed asleep.

Tony felt bad that Peter was feeling so badly, but he also took a moment to indulge in feeling bad for himself. He'd been really looking forward to Peter's first trip home from college. Of course, they had regular video chats, but it wasn't the same as seeing him in person. But it was hard to have a good conversation when the kid was asleep.

He considered his options. He could probably just finish Peter's project for him, but he'd been looking forward to working _with_ Peter. Tony briefly considered Bruce's suggestion that Tony himself lie down for a minute. As much as he hated to admit it, Bruce was probably right that Tony was getting sick. But it was just a little cold; he wasn't as sick as Peter. Tony could definitely keep working. He sat down at his workstation and had FRIDAY pull up files for all of his projects in progress. There had to be something simple he could do while he waited for Peter to wake up. He put his arms on his work table and rested his head on his forearms while he thought.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Mmph?" 

"Hey, Tony, sorry to wake you," Bruce said softly. "Why don't you just come to bed? I'm sure you'll be more comfortable." He rubbed Tony's neck and Tony let out an involuntary moan at how good that felt. His body had already been aching, and spending time slumped over at his desk hadn't helped anything. 

"No, I want to hang out with Peter."

Bruce glanced over at Peter, still sleeping on the couch. His lips quirked. "Looks like you're having a really good hangout."

"Well, he'll wake up soon, and then we can get back to work."

"Mm-hmm. Tony, you know Peter idolizes you."

Tony shrugged. He was flattered by Peter's affection for him, but still uncomfortable with Bruce's casual assessment of their dynamic. Surely Peter could find a better idol. "So?"

Bruce continued, " _So_ , when he goes back to college, do you want him to take care of himself when he gets sick? Or do you want him to think he needs to work until he passes out at his desk because that's what Tony Stark does? I’m sure whatever you’re working on can wait until you’re both feeling better."

"Well, sometimes it's necessary to work through the pain! I mean, how many times have you and I pulled an all-nighter to literally save the world?"

Bruce gave him a small smile. "Sometimes it's necessary," he agreed. "Were you saving the world just now? Do you want me to help? I'll put the soup in the freezer if the world is ending again."

"I--well--" Tony looked at the work table where Peter's half-upgraded web shooters sat. As much as Tony loved to innovate, even he had to admit that Peter's old ones would work just fine for another day, especially if Spider-Man himself was still snoring peacefully. "Well, he already took the couch and I don't want him to wake up by himself."

"Ah. I'm sure FRIDAY would be happy to pass on a message when he wakes up. Right, Fri?"

"Of course, Dr. Banner," FRIDAY replied.

"So why don't you set a good example and go lie down somewhere more comfortable?" Bruce asked. "I promise I'll wake you up for dinner."

"I...fine," Tony conceded.

Bruce bent down to plant a kiss on Tony's forehead. "Good."

Tony stood up and stretched his arms over his head. Bruce slipped an arm around Tony's shoulders and guided him out of the room. Tony noticed that a box of Kleenex, a packet of cold medicine, and a bottle of water had appeared on the end table next to Peter. Tony mentally kicked himself for not thinking of that stuff. Thank God Bruce was there.

Tony squirmed when he realized Bruce was leading him to the bedroom. "Bruuuce, it's the middle of the afternoon, I don't want to go to _bed_. I’m not _sick_ , I was just...resting my eyes."

"Okay," Bruce agreed, his tone suspiciously gentle. He took Tony to the common room and gently deposited him on the couch. Tony couldn't help but let out a small sigh; it did feel nice to be horizontal on something soft. It was a warm day for October, but Bruce tucked a blanket over him. "I'll be right back."

Tony let out a sneeze he'd been holding back and wiped his face with his sleeve.

Bruce returned quickly and stocked the coffee table with tissues, cold medicine, water, and juice. 

Tony took a tissue and wiped his nose, but said, "Ugh, I’m not really sick. I hate taking cold medicine, it makes my head feel all…" he trailed off and wiggled his fingers.

"That's fine, love, you don't have to take it, I'm just leaving it there if you change your mind."

Bruce perched on the edge of the couch and stroked Tony's hair. Bruce wasn't usually so physically affectionate; Tony debated protesting that he wasn't sick and Bruce didn't need to baby him. But he closed his eyes and decided he might as well try to enjoy it. If he couldn't have his fun afternoon in the workshop with Peter, at least he could have Bruce's pleasantly unnecessary TLC.

But when he awoke, he felt much worse. The sun had gone down and the common room was dark, he was alone, and his whole body hurt. His bones, his skin, his _hair_ hurt. He rolled over and pressed his face into the back of the couch.

And then he felt Bruce's hand lightly running through his hair again. Tony fought a whimper; he was happy to have Bruce there, but now it felt bad to be touched. He was on fire and Bruce's hand felt like a steel rake. Tony reached up and put a hand over Bruce's hand, stilling its motion.

Bruce said, "How do you feel, Tony?"

"Peachy," Tony said, into the couch.

"Hmm. You feel really warm. I know you don't like the cold medicine but how about just taking some ibuprofen for the fever? Might help if you were feeling achy, too…"

Tony groaned and sat up. "Fine, I'll try your witchcraft. How's Peter?"

Bruce smiled. He handed Tony a glass of juice and a couple of pills. "Peter took some cold medicine and he's feeling better after his nap. He was helping me set the kitchen table, actually."

"Oh fuck, this is good juice," Tony said.

"Fresh-squeezed," Bruce replied. 

"Mmm." Tony slumped back into the couch and blew his nose.

"Do you want some soup?" Bruce asked. 

"Mmph." Tony grudgingly pried himself off the couch.

"Oh, no, just stay here, we'll bring you some."

"I thought you said Peter was setting the table."

"Peter's an adaptable young man." Bruce stroked Tony's sweaty hair again and said, "Be right back." Tony curled back into the couch.

True to his word, Bruce returned with a bowl of soup and a brilliant young college student. Bruce set the soup in front of Tony and went back to the kitchen.

"Hey Mr. Stark, I'm really sorry I got you sick," Peter said miserably.

"Me? I'm fine," Tony said. "I'm sorry _you're_ sick over your fall break. You should be out on a beach somewhere or something."

"I'd rather just be here," Peter replied. He settled on the couch next to Tony, holding his own bowl of soup. Bruce returned with a bowl for himself--his looked like lentils--and sat on a soft armchair next to the couch.

"This soup is really good, Dr. Banner," Peter said.

"Thanks. I hope it helps you feel better."

Tony took a spoonful. "Fuck, Bruce, you could put Campbell's out of business with this stuff."

Bruce laughed. "That's something to consider, maybe a plan for my retirement."

Peter asked anxiously, "Are you feeling okay, Dr. Banner? I don't want to get you sick, too."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I...I can't get sick, actually."

"What?"

"I've never been able to isolate exactly why, but it's something to do with all the gamma radiation I was exposed to...I wish I could figure out how to just have that side effect and not, um, the other one, but…well, no infections seem to be able to survive in my bloodstream..." Bruce trailed off and stared into his soup.

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Peter said.

Bruce smiled. "I guess it is. It certainly comes in handy. Anyway--uh, you know, you're welcome to stay the night here, Peter, if you don't want to drive back to Queens tonight."

"Oh, yeah, you should stay," Tony said. They'd kept a room for Peter at the compound, though he didn't use it as often as Tony would like.

"Oh, thanks, yeah...I'll check with May, I know, um, I know she wants to see me some, while I'm home. But I don't want to get her sick too…" Peter fumbled with his phone. 

Tony checked his and saw a text from Pepper: _Bruce says you're sick. Hope you feel better soon! I'm staying in the city tonight, you know I have that huge negotiation tomorrow and can't risk getting sick. Plus I know you're in good hands. ♥_

Tony frowned. "You told Pepper I'm sick?" 

"You _are_ sick," Bruce said patiently. "Eat your soup."

Tony ignored Bruce and replied to Pepper, _I'm not that sick, Bruce is exaggerating._ It took autocorrect 3 times to understand that Tony meant "exaggerating," and he didn't even have cold medicine to blame for a fuzzy head. He'd have to try to upgrade the autocorrect algorithm, something was clearly wrong with it. 

_Glad you're feeling better, I'll see you tomorrow! [surgical mask emoji]_

"Your soup's getting cold," Bruce said. Tony sighed and picked it up. It really was good soup. He texted Pepper, _Bruce made chicken soup from scratch. You're missing out._

Pepper replied, _Good, eat it! Nat and I are going out to that French place you hate._

"May says it's okay if I stay here tonight," Peter said.

"Great. Maybe we can watch a movie or something?" Bruce suggested.

"That sounds good," Peter said.

"You can pick," Tony said generously.

Peter asked FRIDAY to put on a Pixar movie, and Tony was glad that Bruce had stocked up on Kleenex. Those movies always made him weirdly emotional. Bruce cleared away the empty soup bowls and then joined Tony and Peter on the couch. Tony slumped over and put his head on Bruce's lap, while Peter flopped so that his head rested on the arm of the couch and his feet were on Tony's lap. He closed his eyes and listened to the movie, punctuated by occasional sneezes and sniffles, both his and Peter's.

When Tony opened his eyes, the movie was over and Peter was gone. 

Bruce smiled down at him. "Ready for bed?"

"I'm not tired," Tony said. "I've been sleeping all day!"

Bruce's smile threatened to become a laugh. "That's good. Your body needs to rest. Why don't you take some Nyquil and come to bed?"

"Did Peter already go to bed?"

"Mm-hmm, he didn't want to wake you. But he'll be here in the morning. You'll both feel better after some sleep."

"Fine," Tony agreed. He sat up and stretched. Bruce picked up the box of Kleenex and propelled Tony to their bedroom, where Tony quickly changed out of his clothes. He sighed when his skin touched the crisp, cool sheets and groaned when Bruce made him sit back up to swallow a few gel caps. He curled up on his side. Bruce slid behind him and tentatively wrapped an arm around Tony's chest.

"Is that good? Or would you rather I leave you alone?"

Tony brought a hand up and clutched Bruce's arm. "Stay." The drugs were doing their job and his body felt less sore than it had earlier. Bruce was a warm and solid support behind him. Tony greedily wished Pepper were there too; their huge bed felt empty without her. But he knew he'd feel worse if she got sick, so he just squeezed Bruce's hand tighter, grateful for his superhuman immune system.

"Okay," Bruce whispered. He pressed a kiss to Tony's cheek. Before long, Tony was lulled back to sleep by Bruce's deep, even breaths. But he dreamed of Extremis; he was burning, and he _knew_ that Pepper and Bruce and Rhodey and Peter were in danger but he couldn't see them, he couldn't help them, they needed him but he was on fire and he couldn't--

And then he felt Bruce's cool hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Tony, it's okay, it was just a dream."

"It--Bruce? You're okay?" Tony tried to draw a deep breath through his stuffed-up nose.

"Everyone's okay, Tony, except maybe you." Bruce stroked Tony's hair.

"It--it was so real, I..." Tony remembered he could breathe through his mouth.

"Fever dreams can be that way," Bruce said sympathetically. "Let me get you some more Nyquil, you burned through that last dose already."

Tony shivered without Bruce's body heat behind him, but Bruce returned quickly. He helped Tony take more medicine and then let Tony curl up on his chest. Bruce tucked them both under the bedding and wrapped his arms tightly around Tony. But Tony's mind wouldn't stop racing, and finally he said, "FRIDAY? Could--could you just check on Peter for me?"

"Of course, boss. Peter is currently sleeping in his quarters. His breathing is slightly elevated but within a normal human range." 

"Thanks, FRIDAY." Tony bit his lip. "And, um, are there any messages on my phone? From...from Pepper, or, anyone?"

"You have one text message from Ms. Potts, reading, 'Good night, Tony, I love you!' It was sent at 10:03 PM."

"Okay. What time is it now?"

"The time is 2:47 AM."

Tony sighed and nestled his head under Bruce's chin. "Thanks, Fri," he mumbled.

Bruce rubbed Tony's shoulders. "See? Everyone's fine, Tony." His voice was rough from sleep, but still reassuring.

"Right. Yeah. Just a dream. S--sorry I woke you."

Bruce kissed the top of Tony's head. "We'll just have to sleep in this morning."

"Okay," Tony agreed sleepily. The second dose of Nyquil was starting to hit him. But when sleep took him again, so did another wave of fever dreams, and he awoke with a whimper. 

"Hey, you're okay," Bruce said. "Everyone's okay. Just a dream."

"Right," Tony murmured. He felt achy and tired and so, so silly. He was a grown man felled by a cold and bad dreams, and his wife had abandoned him and their boyfriend was surely about to join her, given how annoying Tony was being.

But Bruce ran his hands up and down Tony's back. "You want something to drink? Water? Juice maybe?"

"Coffee?" 

Bruce laughed. "Okay. I guess you got enough sleep for now, huh?"

"Mmm." Tony still felt drowsy, but he really didn't want any more of those dreams.

"Let me up?" Bruce asked. Tony sighed and rolled over, off of Bruce's chest. Bruce gave him one last reassuring caress and said "I'll be right back." 

Tony wrapped the blanket more tightly around himself and said, "FRIDAY, what time is it?"

"It is 7:05 AM."

"Text Pepper that I love her?"

"You got it, boss." FRIDAY paused for a moment and then said, "Her reply reads as follows: 'I love you too. Go back to sleep and I'll see you tonight.'"

"Yay," Tony mumbled. "Um, tell her good luck at her meeting."

"She says, 'I don't need luck, I just needed a healthy immune system.'"

Bruce returned with a Thermos of coffee, strong and sweet, just the way Tony liked it. 

"You're the best," Tony said gratefully.

"Should I text that to Ms. Potts?" FRIDAY asked.

"Yes," Bruce replied.

Tony laughed. "I meant you."

"I think it applies equally," Bruce said.

"Ms. Potts responded with a heart emoji," FRIDAY reported.

"Aww," Tony said. He drank some delicious coffee and began to feel slightly less miserable. "Peter's still here, right?"

"Mr. Parker is still asleep," FRIDAY reported.

"That's good. I think I'll take a shower," Tony said, running a hand through his sweaty hair.

Bruce nodded. "That should help you feel better."

"Especially if you join me?" Tony asked hopefully.

Bruce laughed. "I suppose it would be a violation of my Hippocratic oath to let you go by yourself."

"Yes! Exactly."

Tony set his half-full Thermos on the nightstand and followed Bruce into the bathroom for a shower. Tony was dismayed to realize that he felt too sick to do anything fun. Still, it was pleasant to stand in their huge, many-jetted shower. It was even more pleasant to have Bruce's help, lathering shampoo into Tony's greasy hair and gently wiping him down with a washcloth. At moments like this, when Bruce was so tender with him, Tony found it impossible to imagine how anyone could ever be afraid of Bruce or his green alter ego. He thought about all of Bruce's years on the run and was so grateful that Bruce had finally felt safe enough to settle down.

Bruce caught him staring and asked, "Hey, you okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah, just thinking…"

"Well, I'm thinking you should get dressed."

Tony winced when Bruce turned off the water, but he felt much better now that he was clean. And as a bonus, his sinuses had definitely cleared up a bit too. He put on soft sweatpants and a faded MIT T-shirt and followed Bruce to the kitchen, where Peter joined them for some more freshly-squeezed orange juice. 

"How are you feeling, kid?" Tony asked.

"Way better, thanks Mr. Stark." He looked and sounded better too, with no sniffles at all. Bruce had theorized that Peter's heightened metabolism, a side effect of his spider bite, also led to faster healing. That was a good thing considering how much trouble he tended to get into, but apparently it also applied to the common cold.

Tony asked, "You wanna get back in the workshop? We can finish up your thing before you have to go back."

Peter bit his lip. "Maybe we should just take it easy this morning."

Bruce elbowed Tony. Tony rubbed his side with irritation, and then he remembered what Bruce had said earlier about trying to set a good example for Peter. "Um, yeah, sure, that sounds good."

The three of them returned to the common room. Since Peter was obviously feeling better, Tony felt no guilt about wresting control of the TV back from him. No more emotionally manipulative cartoons today; instead, he made Peter watch more "old movies" like the original _Robocop_ and the original _Blade Runner_.

Lunchtime rolled around and Bruce brought them all more soup. Afterwards, Peter said, "Hey, um, Mr. Stark, I'm really sorry again, for getting you sick."

"Don't worry about it," Tony said with a dismissive wave. "I'm already better."

Peter made an unsubtly skeptical face and said, "Well, um, okay, but anyway, it was really great to see you, but, um, I should head out soon, I gotta spend some time with May too before I go back to school."

"Oh, but we still need to finish your upgrade!" Tony said. He discreetly sneezed into his elbow.

"Oh, um, I actually finished it last night?"

"What? Let me see it."

Peter sheepishly showed him the new web shooters, and Tony realized that Peter hadn't needed his help at all. "Peter! This is great work. Really next-level."

"Thanks, Mr. Stark." Peter rubbed a hand over the back of his neck self-consciously. "Well, um, like I said, I, uh, should get going. But I'll be back for Thanksgiving. And, um, if you come to Boston for business or anything, um, maybe we could meet up for lunch or something?"

Tony smiled. He'd been dying to visit Peter at MIT but hadn't wanted to overshadow his mentee's first year. "I'm sure something will bring me up that way before too long."

"Okay, yeah, cool," Peter said. Tony walked Peter to the front door of the compound and gave him a goodbye hug. Then he leaned against the wall to rest for a minute before making the long walk back to the common room. Why was the Avengers compound so big? It was exhausting.

Eventually, he made it back to the couch, where Bruce provided him with more orange juice, ibuprofen, and cuddles. Tony drifted into a hazy, thankfully dreamless sleep on Bruce's lap. When he woke up, Pepper was sitting on his other side, dressed down in casual clothes with a glass of wine in her hand.

He sat up and said, "Pep! How'd everything go today?" 

"It went great! The deal is closed and I think everyone's feeling like they got the better part of it...even though SI _really_ did. Obviously. How are _you_ feeling?"

"Fine," Tony said. She gave him a piercing look and he added, "I mean...could be worse." He really was feeling better; his body aches were gone and he was much less congested than he had been.

"Hmm. Well, I brought you some matzo ball soup from that good deli."

"Mm, my lucky day," Tony said. "Thanks, honey. I missed you." 

"I missed you too, but I'm glad Bruce was here to take care of you while I was away."

"Me too. But now I get the best of both worlds!" He really wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve two partners who would bring him delicious soup when he was sick, but he was very glad he had them. 

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

"Wait, you'll get sick," Tony said.

Pepper kissed Tony's cheek and said, "It's okay, my Reiki practitioner gave me some echinacea and St. John's wort." Off to his other side, Tony registered that Bruce was quietly making the same amused face he’d made when Tony insisted he wasn’t sick. Pepper said, "Bruce! Don't make that face at me."

"Sorry, Pepper," Bruce said. His tone was contrite, though his eyes still shone with amusement. "Anyway, Tony's fever broke this afternoon, so he's past his peak contagion level."

"Well, whatever, if I take a sick day _tomorrow_ that's fine. In fact, I might take the day off anyway. Maybe we could watch a movie or something?"

"No more movies," Tony whined. The cuddles were nice and all but he’d already spent way too much time on the couch recently. 

"Okay, well, I'm sure we could find _something_ to do," Pepper said with an indulgent smile. "For now, how about some of that soup?"

"That sounds good," Tony agreed. While Pepper went to heat up some soup for him, Tony checked his phone and found a few texts from Peter: another wordy apology for spreading his cold, and a goofy selfie that Tony presumed was Peter and May, both wearing cheap Halloween Spider-Man masks and giving peace signs to the camera. Tony laughed, and when Pepper came back, he made her and Bruce pose for a group selfie with their bowls of soup. Tony sent it to Peter with the caption _Feeling soup-er!_

That night, Tony took his favorite middle spot in the bed and snuggled up between Bruce and Pepper. He fell asleep quickly, with a stomach full of soup and a heart full of love.


End file.
